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Clark County confirmed measles cases rise to 25

Twelve suspected cases reported; no new exposure sites listed Thursday

By Mark Bowder, Columbian Metro Editor

Published: January 24, 2019, 1:35pm

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Clark County’s measles outbreak grew by two new confirmed cases, to 25 since Jan. 1, in new data released Thursday by Clark County Public Health, and one case has been confirmed in the Seattle area. Twelve suspected cases locally were also reported.

No new public exposure sites were identified, according to a Clark County Public Health news release.

“The two new confirmed cases were being monitored by Public Health,” the statement said. “The cases stayed home, as instructed by Public Health, which prevented additional exposures to the public.”

The new confirmed case in King County is a man in his 50s, who recently traveled to Clark County, but a definite link has not been confirmed.

Measles exposure sites

Clark County Public Health released the following list of locations where people may have been exposed to measles in the Portland-Vancouver area:

Health care facilities:

• The Vancouver Clinic Salmon Creek, 2525 N.E. 139th St., Vancouver.

4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

8:15 a.m. to noon Jan. 18

• Gresham Troutdale Family Medical Center, 1700 S.W. 257th Drive in Troutdale, Ore., from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care Cascade Park, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver, from 6:25 to 10:15 p.m. Jan. 22.

• Legacy-GoHealth, 22262 N.E. Glisan St., in Gresham, Ore., from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 20.

• Memorial Urgent Care, 3400 Main St., Vancouver, from 4:30 to 7:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19.

• Kaiser Cascade Park, 12607 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.

12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19.

7 p.m. Jan. 15 to 2 a.m. Jan. 16.

1 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

• Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Emergency Department, 2211 N.E. 139th St., Vancouver.

11:40 p.m. Jan. 14 to 5:10 a.m. Jan 15.

5:45 p.m. Jan. 13 and 12:30 a.m. Jan. 14.

8:30 p.m. Jan. 12 to 1 a.m. Jan. 13.

• Kaiser Orchards Medical Office, 7101 N.E. 137th Ave., Vancouver,

1:55 to 6:10 p.m. Jan. 14.

1:50 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24

• Rose Urgent Care and Family Practice, 18 N.W. 20th Ave., Battle Ground, 3:45 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14.

• PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Emergency Department, 400 N.E. Mother Joseph Place, Vancouver.

12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13.

10 p.m. Jan. 12 to 4 a.m. Jan. 13.

• The Vancouver Clinic, 700 N.E. 87th Ave., Vancouver.

9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 14.

4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13.

10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 12.

3:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Vancouver Clinic Columbia Tech Center, 501 SE 172nd Ave., Vancouver, from 11:30 am to 4 pm Friday, Jan. 11.

• Magnolia Family Clinic, 2207 N.E. Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 8.

Schools and child care facilities:

• Orchards Elementary School, 11405 N.E. 69th St., Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 14.

• Evergreen High School, 14300 NE 18th St., Vancouver, on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• Slavic Christian Academy, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, on Monday, Jan. 7.

• Cornerstone Christian Academy, 10818 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 4.

• Vancouver Home Connection, 301 S. Lieser Road, Vancouver, on Jan. 7; Jan. 8; and Jan. 11.

• Hearthwood Elementary School, 801 N.E. Hearthwood Blvd., Vancouver, on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.

• Image Elementary School, 4400 N.E. 122nd Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

• Eisenhower Elementary School, 9201 N.W. Ninth Ave., Vancouver, on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.

• Tukes Valley Primary and Middle School, 20601 N.E. 167th Ave., Battle Ground, on Jan. 8.

• Maple Grove School, 601B S.W. Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• River HomeLink, 601 S.W. Eaton Blvd., Battle Ground, on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 9.

• St. Paul Christian Daycare, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver, Jan. 16, 17, 18 and 23

• Yelena’s Daycare, 17007 N.E. 23rd St., Vancouver, Jan. 22 and 23

Other locations:

• Dollar Tree, 11501 N.E. 76th St., Vancouver, from 8:10 to 10:50 pm Tuesday, Jan. 15.

• Dollar Tree, 7809-B Vancouver Plaza Drive, Vancouver, from 6:30 to 9:10 p.m. Jan. 15.

• Dollar Tree, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 1:10 to 4 p.m. Jan. 21.

• GracePoint Christian Church, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7.

• Church of Christ Savior, 3612 F St., Vancouver

9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 6

6 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 6

9:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 13.

• Church of Truth, 7250 N.E. 41st St., Vancouver from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6.

• Portland International Airport, 7000 N.E. Airport Way, Portland

10:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 7. More specifically, anyone who spent time in Concourse D and the Delta Sky Lounge during that time period.

7:30 to 11 p.m. Jan. 15, baggage claim and south end of the ticket counter (near Alaska Airlines and Starbucks)

• Costco, 4849 N.E. 138th Ave., Portland

1 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8.

5:30 to 8:40 p.m. Jan. 16

• Amazon Lockers, 1131 S.W. Jefferson St., Portland, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10.

Rejuvenation, 1100 S.E. Grand Ave. Portland, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10.

Pho Green Papaya, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 10.

• Chuck’s Produce, 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 8 to 11:45 p.m. Jan. 10 and 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Ikea, 10280 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

* Fisher Investments, 5525 N.W. Fisher Creek Drive, Camas

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 11

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 14

6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 15

• Moda Center (Trail Blazers game), 1 N. Center Court St., Portland, from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

• Verizon Wireless at Cascade Station, 10103 N.E. Cascades Parkway, Portland, from 5 to 11 p.m. Jan. 14.

• A Children’s Dentist, 101 NW 12th Ave., Battle Ground, from 1:30 to 6 pm Tuesday, Jan. 8.

• God Will Provide Church, 7321 N.E. 110th St., Vancouver, from 7 to 11 p.m. Jan. 18.

• Fred Meyer, 22855 N.E. Park Lane in Wood Village, Ore., from 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 20.

• Walgreens Pharmacy, 25699 S.E. Stark St., in Troutdale, Ore., from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Vancouver Division of Children, Youth and Families, 907 Harney St., Vancouver, from 12:15 to 5:15 p.m. Jan. 18.

• Golden Corral, 11801 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 4 to 9 p.m. Jan. 19.

• Vancouver Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) office, 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 2:50 to 6:15 p.m. Jan. 23.

• Tower Mall public areas (entrances and hallways), 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, from 2:50 to 6:15 p.m. Jan. 23.

• New Life Mission Church, 3300 N.E. 172nd Place, Portland from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 20.

• Trader Joe's, 305 S.E. Chkalov Drive, Vancouver from 12:30 to 3:40 p.m. Jan. 21.

• Walmart Supercenter, 14505 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver 1:30 to 5 p.m. Jan. 21.

Among the 25 confirmed cases, 21 of them were in people who had not been immunized against measles. The immunization status of the four other cases could not be verified.

The confirmed cases include 19 among children ages 1 to 10, five cases for people ages 11 to 19 and one case for an adult between the age of 19 and 29.

There has been one hospitalization locally. Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick said that child is doing much better now.

The first confirmed case of measles has not yet been linked to any subsequent cases, he said.

Melnick said the outbreak has already cost Clark County more than $100,000 — a day after he said at a Clark County Board of Health meeting that the outbreak would be costly and prolonged.

“We’re in the six-figure range, but it’s not inconceivable for this to get into the seven-figure range,” Melnick said.

At Wednesday’s Board of Health Meeting, Melnick said a rise in confirmed cases and a spread of the virus into new counties might lead to a statewide public health emergency declaration.

Clark County declared a public health emergency over measles last week. Melnick said a large increase in confirmed cases might be on the horizon.

“We’re just getting into the third incubation period, so those numbers could rise,” he said. “My big scare is that the numbers could rise significantly. That’s what’s keeping me up at night and scares me.”

Dr. Scott Lindquist, epidemiologist for communicable diseases with the Washington State Department of Health, said in a teleconference call, “We are expecting this will move not only through the state, but also through other states.”

There have been no confirmed cases in Oregon yet, although Portland exposure sites include the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter during a Portland Trail Blazers game with an official attendance of more than 19,000 people, and multiple exposures at Portland International Airport.

Lindquist commented on discussion surrounding the possibility that someone from outside the country sparked the outbreak.

“Everyone wants to know who brought this into Washington state? I don’t think there’s any value in pointing fingers,” he said.

Lindquist said Washington generally sees about five measles cases per year. The state had more than 30 cases during a 2014 outbreak.

In 1996, Clark County had 33 confirmed cases during an outbreak, according to Columbian archives. That started with one case identified April 22 and continued until early July. Those 33 Clark County cases were part of a statewide outbreak, and made up more than three-fourths of all cases in the state during that time.

The health department gave more than 2,500 vaccinations to students, teachers and staff members at Clark College, five public schools and six preschool programs.

What to do if you might be infected

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to the measles virus come down with the disease. The virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person, and can survive for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.

Health officials are urging anyone who has been exposed at an identified location and believes they have symptoms of measles to call their health care provider prior to visiting the medical office to make a plan that avoids exposing others in the waiting room.

If you are unsure of your family’s immunization status, you can view, download and print your family’s immunization information online at MyIR.net or request a copy of your immunization record from the Washington State Department of Health.

Anyone with questions about measles infection or the measles vaccine should call their primary care provider or a county health department:

• Clark County Public Health, 360-397-8021.

• Multnomah County, Ore., Public Health, 503-988-3406.

• Washington County, Ore., Public Health, 503-846-3594.

• Clackamas County, Ore., Public Health, 503-655-8411.

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Public Health has been regularly updating its list of locations where people may have been exposed to measles. There are dozens of locations in total, including hospitals, Portland International Airport and multiple schools.

For a complete list of exposure sites, visit the Public Health measles investigation web page: www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/measles-investigation.

Measles symptoms begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually begins at the head and spreads to the rest of the body. A person can spread the virus before they show symptoms.

People are contagious with measles for up to four days before and up to four days after the rash appears. After someone is exposed to measles, illness develops in about one to three weeks.

Measles exposure sites

Health care facilities:

Schools and child care facilities:

Other locations:

What to do if you might be infected

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